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Julian Alps - A view of the Soča and the upper Sava river valleys spreads below Mount Triglav, Slovenia's highest mountain. Lying between the two rivers is Triglav National Park, which protects numerous endemic animal and plant species in a region of high rocky mountains, deeply cut river gorges, high-mountain karst shafts, and attractive low mountains as well as the traditions of the once difficult life of mountain farmers and alpine dairymen. [Photo courtesy of www.slovenia.info]

Slovenia, a small country in the heart of Central Europe, is often overlooked in people's travel plans, but its ambassador in Beijing is wooing Chinese tourists to give it a chance.

Marija Adanja, the Slovenian ambassador to China, speaks at a tourism promotion event "Feel Slovenia" organized by the Slovenian Tourist Board in Beijing on Thursday.Marija Adanja, the Slovenian ambassador

With the Alps in the north and the Mediterranean in the south, Slovenia has some of the most beautiful and varied landscapes in Europe. It is also one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world, with vast forests that are home to a large population of brown bears. A hundred castles dot the countryside and other attractions include dozens of hot springs. Add to that more than 10,000 kilometers of marked hiking trails, and all these features combine to make Slovenia a unique travel destination.

"Although Slovenia is a geographically small country, it is blessed with great diversity, so visitors can choose between many different types of tours and holiday activities and can enjoy themselves in a very relaxing environment," Marija Adanja, the Slovenian ambassador to China, told guests at a tourism promotion event "Feel Slovenia" organized by the Slovenian Tourist Board in Beijing on Thursday.

According to Ambassador Adanja, Slovenia has seen a significant increase in the number of visitors from China over the past few years. In 2010, around 46 percent more Chinese travelers visited Slovenia than the year before. The ambassador said she expects around 15,000 Chinese tourists to visit the country this year.

Pinning high hopes on the Chinese market, Adanja wants to see more cooperation between Slovenian and Chinese travel firms.

"Tourism is one of those industries which brings people from different cultures closer together on a very personal level and contributes a lot to the development of bilateral relations," she said.

Slovenian travel agencies are very bullish about the China market.

Nina Regina, area manager of earth a la carte.com, one of the Slovenian travel firms taking part in the China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market, said: "China is our main market at present and we plan to open a branch here."

According to Regina, her travel agency received more than 200 inquiries from Chinese tourists in just two days, and is in talks with several potential Chinese partners on plans to take more Chinese tourists to Slovenia.

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